One of Lisa’s favourite travel destinations was always the Canary Islands. Andersen visited the region many times and always praised the vibes and waves especially on Corralejo.
That’s why for my first trip in the footsteps of Lisa I looked for the best surf camp over there. And that is when I came across Ocean Adventure for kitesurfing in canary !
Ocean Adventure Camp has several surf camps around the world. The one in Canary Islands is on the island of Fuerteventura in Corralejo, a small town on the north of the island. The promise: sun, and waves all year round. The island is famous for being one of the best surf spots, especially in winter. No matter the period, there is always a spot with waves. There is also a lot of wind, so there are a lot of kitesurfers & windsurfers. The paradise for board riders!
I was really surprised by the island which is both volcanic and desert but with very beautiful coasts. The surf areas are cannons, and in the middle of the island, it’s often no-man’s land.
As for the weather, the sun is present and shining very hard. Be careful to put sunscreen on the first days and every day to the surf: face, feet and hands to avoid the sunburn! We apparently had a pretty cloudy week. It is true that it was gray (but hot) in the morning and it was sunny in the early afternoon. Honestly, it was no worse because the sun is so strong that a few hours a day was almost enough.
Surf Camp is a 15-minute walk from Corralejo’s “city centre” in a fairly quiet area. The beach for sunbathing is 10 minutes away, and we take the car to find the best surf spot of the day. They have a variety of beautiful accommodations and everyone can choose what they prefer.
The camp is managed by a Camp Manager and a group of “teamers” who apparently change quite regularly. It’s young people of all nationalities who are there to welcome, clean, and answer small questions. At Camp Fuerteventura, there is not really any organization, each one makes his life, and few common activities are organized. We are far from the “nice organizers” of Club Med. This may be the small downside I would put: I found it a shame that the teamers are not more involved in the life of the Surf House. I can understand that seeing people coming and going every week does not make things easier, but a warmer welcome would not be too much trouble. After, everyone does his life and it’s very good like that.
Classes are in groups of 8 maximum. Groups are made according to levels: beginner or intermediate. And the spots are also adapted to the group level. Groups with Surf Instructor’s name & time of the session are posted at 7pm the day before for the next day. This can be at 8am, as at 11am, as at 15:30. No rules, it’s a bit of a surprise every time. It often depends on the conditions of each spot and the tides.
Xavier and I started in the beginner group, with our monitor Max. Classes are in English, like all life at the Camp elsewhere. So it’s better to speak / understand a minimum English if you go to Fuerteventura.
At the time of the session, go to the Surf house with a combination (lent by the camp) and a board: “soft boards” to start: there is a kind of foam on it to avoid getting hurt . The teacher loads the boards on the roof of the mini van, and off you go!
At the beginning of each class, we explain the spot, the operation of waves, current. Then we warm up, and we learn to get up on the board in the sand. As the sessions progress, the teacher corrects things he saw in the water, tips, new techniques, and so on.
It really made me feel like Lisa Andersen! I highly recommend!!!